The A49 wends its way from Herefordshire to Cheshire; from Ross-on-Wye – gateway to the Wye valley – and over the Welsh Marches, through the market towns of Ludlow, Shrewsbury and Church Stretton and the Shropshire hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

On the road goes, across the Shropshire Union Canal to Chester, Warrington and Wigan, terminating at its junction with another famous English road, the A6. We're stopping before Chester today, heading off into the Peckforton hills and, as gloomy afternoon turns into rain-lashed night, the Pheasant Inn appears on a ridge like a promising beacon.

From the bar, we have to dash out into the deluge once more, as the barmaid leads us to an outbuilding. "It's the old shippon – this was a farm," she says.

No surprise that sandstone is the most notable feature in our compact first-floor room: this inn is the halfway point on the Sandstone Trail, a long-distance path across rural Cheshire.

"Full-length mirror in the wardrobe," says my bloke, as though checking his rear view is a priority. Functional with flourishes, I'd say, but only one of us gets a bedside table and light. We like free Wi-Fi, the white orchid and an engraving of Chester, but the hairdryer reminds me of the ones at public swimming baths – the "on" button works only with continuous pressing.

Back to the shiny new wooden expanse of the bar. One or two are here only for the beer, but most people who come through the door make a beeline for tables and menus.

Half of Weetwood's Old Dog, please, and bagsy that settle. Game pie and moules marinières are chalked-up specials; the menu runs from nibbles to steak via something called "Deli Boards". We order the fish one to share and a wooden chopping board is delivered to our fireside location loaded with thick slices of smoked salmon, delicate smoked trout, rollmops with a scattering of sliced, lightly pickled onion, and fried salt cod balls. "Taste this, it's gorgeous," says my bloke, smearing apple chutney from a tiny pot on to cod.

Conversation at the neighbouring table skips from tagines to teenagers, but my eavesdropping is temporarily suspended when a Bowland rib-eye steak arrives glistening darkly on a skillet. It is a very, very lovely piece of meat. Steak and ale pie is "nice and rich, but my mash is over-salted," he says, digging into the side dish of vegetables, which are, by contrast, perfectly cooked.

Pud is hardly on the agenda, but our waitress waxes lyrical about ice‑cream from nearby Cheshire Farm (12 flavours available here, but they make more than 30).

While my bloke tries to think of 30 possibilities, I order Gog's blackcurrant, mango and ginger sorbets, and honeycomb ice-cream. They are to die for. Full of fruit not ice, and crunchy bits of real comb.

We roll back to our room, clearly in safe hands as far as breakfast is concerned, and knowing that daylight also holds the promise of views from this vantage point to the Welsh hills, before continuing our journey along the A49.Off-road adventure Quad biking over a nine-mile course at Catton Hall.Higher Burwardsley, Tattenhall (01829 770434, thepheasantinn.co.uk). Standard doubles from £65. Our dinner costs approx £46 for two, excluding drinks. Further info: visitcheshire.com.